L.N. Tolstoy and Russian Intelligentsia: a Philosophical Anallysis of Historical Conflicts

The image of L.N. Tolstoy always seemed extremely contradictory, and therefore always new and unexpected in his interpretations, which implies such a high interest in him and an extensive polemic around his personality. The writer is a truly brilliant and unique giant in Russian fiction. This study examines changes of the image of Tolstoy from the late XIX to the middle of the XX century. He never: from the pre-revolutionary period to the present, has not been presented holistically - his image has always been ambivalent and often viewed through the prism of "flashy contradictions" defined by V.I. Lenin. The aim of the study is the analysis of the philosophical and political views of L.N. Tolstoy in the context of comparing his real philosophy and position and the ideological symbolization of his name in the political life of the country. It also considers the Russian intelligentsia as a social group, including the religious-philosophical and political (revolutionary), which uniquely reflected all the events of that time in their works. This study will help fill the philosophical gap in understanding the unity and diversity of Tolstoy’s perception by the Russian intelligentsia, and will also contribute to the introduction of new assessments in the current views on the political history of Russia.